I watch the adds for Corvairs and parts daily to see how prices for cars and parts are changing. A huge thank you to "corvairproject" for the work to gather all the information. Prices seem to be stable, at least as I see them. I always hope they will go up so my investment in my cars pays off!

I see a lot of adds where the seller doesn't know much about the car. Case in point a 1965 Corsa "Spyder" for sale with a 140 engine in it (seller does say it was changed at one point but later says it's the original engine). I suppose it's clean enough but for $14,000? I hope it's a trend so my 65 goes up in value.

Car prices are like stock prices. They are effected by both supply and demand. If the supply is low, and the demand is low, it is a buyers market. If the supply is high, and the demand is low, it is still a buyers market. If the supply is low, and the demand is high, then it is a sellers market. Rarity only comes into play, when there is high demand and low supply. You can own a one of a kind of car, but if there is no demand for the vehicle, it will be difficult to sell, unless you find that one person that just has to have your car, and that person has deep pockets.Generally speaking we rarely get out of our cars, what we put into them. This is why it is almost always less expensive to buy a restored car than it is to restore one.

Years ago I looked back (yes I'm old) on the car hobby since I was a kid. There are peaks in popularity for different cars. Mostly driven by the age of folks since 45-50 is the typical age when someone has the time AND the money to buy that car they could never get when young.

That doesn't mean a car that peaks in popularity goes away, just the demand (and price) drops. Due to the post WWII baby boomers the 60's muscle/pony car thing took off and I suspect within ten years that will begin to wane.

I have noted a LOT more Corvairs for sale in the last couple of years. I suspect that is because they are affordable and especially the LM cars have that mid to late 60's look that is popular now.

The perfect study of popularity and price, is the early MG cars, such as the TC, TD, & TF. In the 1950's & 1960's these cars were really sought after, and you had to fight to get one away from an owner. Now, those owners are in their mid 80's to 90's, and the prices of the cars hasn't improved in the last 30 years. They were sporty, and fun to drive, but you needed to be a tinkerer to keep them going all summer long without some sort of breakdown. Today, the average person has very little interest in them. I can remember in the 1980's, when Corvairs were plentiful, and people would buy them as cheap transportation, and when they wore out, they were discarded like trash. I can see the day coming when even the Corvairs will be put out to pasture, with less young people coming into the hobby. It is sad, but true. When I was in college, I was a 1920's Buick fan and collector. Today, there are very few people left that have an interest in a 1926 Buick Master, since you need to be a woodworker first to restore one, and then a metal man to work on the tin that was nailed to the wood. Parts are difficult to find, and good solid cars are the rarity.

My feeling is that things like collector cars, boats, light aircraft and similar items fall into the catagory of luxury items rather than than necessary items. For that reason their values rise and fall with the current economic cycle. When times are good toys soar in value but when the population feels the economy is bad toys are the first things to fall.

I hope the economy is headed for an upturn and the value of luxury items like our Corvair’s will rise as well.

> I hope the economy is headed for an upturn and the> value of luxury items like our Corvair’s will> rise as well.

Although the economy has had a lengthy run-up since the Great Recession and many are expecting the bubble to burst in the stock market and housing prices,at my last district union meeting (Sprinklerfitters UA Local #669) the officers are projecting a 10% growth in hours during 2018 from the 1,400,000 man hours reported during 2017. We have been at ZERO unemployment in Western Washington/Oregon for most of this year.

Agree that the economy has a lot to do with classic car prices. I bought my first Corvair in 1972, a 1965 Corsa 140, for $400 and it ran perfectly. I would have liked to get one now for even normal inflation prices (around $1,500) but that's not happening! I bought my 65 Corsa a couple years ago for $2,500 and it needed a lot of work. No rust but lots of other things need to be fixed.

I'll go on record as saying that the "great" recession was not great at all. More of a little dip that would have self corrected and returned us to the normal 4% growth rates we as usually experience. I also don't think the stock market is a bubble. It will adjust itself as it always has but remain at a higher level than any other time in history.

The Dow's highest closing record is 24,585.43 set on December 13, 2017.

On March 1, 2017, it closed above 21,000.

When the Dow breached 22,000 on August 2, 2017, it was the first time it hit three such milestones in one year. The index closed above 23,000 on October 18, 2017. Slightly more than a month later, it broke 24,000.

The Dow has had two streaks lasting more than 10 days this year. The last time it did that was in 1959. It's had three nine-day runs. The last time that happened was in 1955, when there were four nine-day stretches. The Dow has moved higher for eight months in a row. The last time that happened was in 1995.

BobV66Vair Wrote:-------------------------------------------------------> Agree that the economy has a lot to do with> classic car prices. I bought my first Corvair in> 1972, a 1965 Corsa 140, for $400 and it ran> perfectly. I would have liked to get one now for> even normal inflation prices (around $1,500) but> that's not happening! I bought my 65 Corsa a> couple years ago for $2,500 and it needed a lot of> work. No rust but lots of other things need to be> fixed.>> I'll go on record as saying that the "great"> recession was not great at all. More of a little> dip that would have self corrected and returned us> to the normal 4% growth rates we as usually> experience. I also don't think the stock market is> a bubble. It will adjust itself as it always has> but remain at a higher level than any other time> in history.

You live in a world that no longer exists.Furthermore,you diminish the pain of the recession we just climbed out of.To refer to it as a "little dip" is a slap in the face to every hard working American that lost their job,their retirement,their wealth that they had built via pensions,home value and otherwise.Are you SO DETACHED as to say it was just a "dip"?

I lost 6,000 hours over 5 years due to this dip,as you so eloquently put it.

After I show friends all my drivable Corvairs they usually ask what are they worth ? I always reply..... not much ,,,,there just money pits that I like , I will lose money on everyone of them no matter how nice they might be

Sorry,Mel.Regardless of opinions,I absolutely refuse to lose money on my builds.That being said,my personal time is not part of the price. I chock that up to learning and the fun experiences I've had while learning.That being said,my vehicles don't typically warrant a tractor running over them.

phill66 Wrote:-------------------------------------------------------> Pedigo wrote:> -------------------------------------------------> > Wait until 2018.😉>> Do I have a choice?> The alternative isn't very appealing.

I concur. The alternative of being worm food isn't appealing,whatsoever.

> You live in a world that no longer exists.> Furthermore,you diminish the pain of the recession> we just climbed out of.> To refer to it as a "little dip" is a slap in the> face to every hard working American that lost> their job,their retirement,their wealth that they> had built via pensions,home value and otherwise.> Are you SO DETACHED as to say it was just a> "dip"?>> I lost 6,000 hours over 5 years due to this dip, as> you so eloquently put it.

I didn't mean for this to become a political discussion. My 1973 experience was great but I realize that's long gone. I like to watch the prices so I can explain to my wife that my investments in cars and repairs are "worth it" since I can sell the car. I don't actually tell her how much I have in the cars!

Individual experience is not a good gage for the economy. The real pain was in the terrible recovery, due to poor economic policy. Many lost a lot but the recession officially ended in the first quarter of 2009. The economy started growing but took nearly 11 years to get back to the level of a good recovery. In the last year the economy has started to recover the way every other recovery has. Excluding the last 11 years of course.

I not once politicized the subject.My Great Recession in Southern Oregon reared its ugly head after YOU claim it was already over. Spring of 2009. Lasted until Fall of 2013.Since 1988,I had worked a minimum of 2,000 hours per year.Your Carter era experience pales in comparison to what us job-seekers went through in '09-'13.I didn't even have a GD home loan,but I suffered the consequence of everyone else's default.You don't get to minimize my suffering!